HINDUISM-a presentation by

What is Hinduism?• Etymology

Hinduism, from the Persian hindu literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma or "eternal truth."

What is Hinduism?

• is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent.

•  is a mass of miscellaneous things of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices.

Hinduism differs from monotheistic religions because it does NOT

have:• a single founder,• a single concept of deity,• a single holy text,• a central religious authority,• the concept of a prophet. 

Is it Polytheistic?

Some say Hinduism is polytheistic because of the large number of representations of the divine - devas and devis (gods and goddesses). The Vedas say 330 million. For Hindus the number is not important since ‘all gods lead to God as all rivers lead to the sea’. What is important is that people discover the divine in ways that are appropriate to them.

The Vedas• These are the most ancient religious

texts which define truth for Hindus.• They got their present form between

1200-200 BCE and were introduced to India by the Aryans.

• Hindus believe that the texts were received by scholars direct from God and passed on to the next generations by word of mouth.

• Vedic texts are sometimes called shruti, which means hearing. For hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, the texts were passed on orally.

WHO STARTED IT?

It was believed to be Brahman but others say that there is no single founder of Hinduism as Hinduism was not founded as a religion. It was a culture basically flourished in India, which later took the form of a great religion. It would be easy to understand who is the founder of Hinduism if you know what Hinduism actually is.

HINDUISM

• Hinduism had its roots over 3,500 years (1500 B.C) ago in a wave of migration that brought Aryan people down from the northwest into the Indus Valley, now located mainly in India and Pakistan.

OM (AUM)

• The sacred symbol and sound representing the ultimate.

• The Sanskrit letters for Om are widely used as a symbol by Hindus in homes and mandirs. It is spoken or chanted with great reverence and is an important part of prayer and meditation.

THREE PATHS• karmamarga - path

of works and action

• jnanamarga - path of knowledge or philosophy

• bhaktimarga - path of devotion to God

Four aims of LIFE:

KAMA (PLEASURE)

ARTHA (PROSPERITY)

DHARMA (MORAL DUTY)

MOKSHA(ENLIGHTENMENT)

SOME COMMON CELEBRATIONS

Diwali• it is the beginning of a new year (new

beginnings, making a fresh start, anticipation)

• It is concerned with the triumph of light over darkness, of good actions over evil ones, of knowledge over ignorance, based around the story of the return of Rama and Sita from exile, the story of which is told in the Ramayana. It is also known as the ‘festival of lights’.

Holi• A very exuberant festival, with

dancing, singing, and throwing of paint.

• Bonfires are lit during Holi, and food offerings are roasted.

• The festival is officially celebrated on the day after full moon during the month of Phalunga, which falls in February-March.

Raksha Bandhan

• This festival strengthens family ties, especially those between sisters and brothers.

• Raksha means ‘protection’ and brandhan is a verb meaning ‘to tie’.

•  is celebrated on Purnima or full moon day in the month of Shravan (popularly known as Saawan) 

Karma and Samsara

KARMA

• Karma is a Sanskrit word whose literal meaning is 'action'.

• It refers to the law that every action has an equal reaction either immediately or at some point in the future.

SAMSARA

• The process of reincarnation is called samsara, a continuous cycle in which the soul is reborn over and over again according to the law of action and reaction.

TEN COMMITMENTS

1. Ahimsa - Do no harm anyone.2. Satya - Do not lie.3. Asteya - Do not steal.4. Brahmacharya - Do not overindulge.5. Aparigraha - Do not be greedy.6. Saucha - Be clean.7. Santosha - Be content.8. Tapas - Be self-disciplined.9. Svadhyaya – Study.10. Ishvara Pranidhana - Surrender to God.

Hindu Dietie

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HINDU TRINITY

• BRAHMA, the Creator• VISHNU, the Protector• SHIVA, the Destroyer

The Hindu God Ganesh

• refers to the "lord of the hosts,"•  is the first born son of Shiva and

Parvati, • Ganesh is worshipped as the lord of

new beginnings, they believe he can take problems away.

• considered the master of intellect and wisdom.

What do Hindus believe about God?

• Many Hindus believe in a ‘universal spirit’ or ‘God’ called Brahman.

• Brahman takes on many forms as different devis and devas (gods and goddesses).

Estimated No. of Followers

• 950 MILLION- making it the third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.

• We can find most of the followers in India and Nepal.

THIS PRESENTATION IS presented TO YOU BY:Bernardez, Arianne CarizaCompelio, Andrelyn HeidiMoltio, Miraclene Torafing, Yanni